Flying-boat.



G. H. CURTISS.

FLYING BOAT.

APPUCATION FILED nzc. 11.1914.

imam 1 3 suits-sun z.

I I gnve'nfoz I Q Q @La 'I ?atented Nov. 6, 191 7.

a. n. curmss.

FLYmG BOAT.

APPucATmu FILED DEC. 11. 1914.

Patented Nov. 6,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- v I v Jhvenfo'c :GLENN' fifiwensa Wileou WW2 G H, CURTISS- FLYING am.

I APFUCATIQN FILED DEC. I l I914- 1,246,011. Patented N0v. 6, 1917.

' a suns-sugar 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFF oE,

GLENN: H. cUn'rIss, or HAMMONDSPORT, NEW yoames'smnon To iHE ovaries MOTOR 00;, 0F HAMMONDSPORT, NEW YORK, A: CORPORATION OF NEWX QBK.

FLYING-BOAT.

1,246,011. s c t of Letters Patent Nov. 6; 19117;

Application filed December 11,1914. Seria1No; 876,' 714.

be removed from the boatfwithout :disturb- L ing the connection of the bottom'section thereto. Not only is ithefpost' prevented from becoming van obstruction" in packing 1 for shipment, but the deck maybe made we .60 ter tight at the point Where the post passes through it.--The:joint21P sh'ownwindetaili- ..in' Fig. 4 comprises apa'irJofiside straps' 22 i1: l vvhieh 'couple together the abutting 'endsi'of 'a the sections' Qfthe' pQSt TQOKQ Preferably the construction thereof in'points of assembling abutting'1endseare-acopper dmg i di t d; and knocking down,and: combining jmaxi-nthe coveringi23i TThe' bottom sectioiiiofthe mum 'fstrength -with maximum simplicityqr'qpost -gisv;supp(n tedi'. :by i: st0o1 "stnuct1ir 24 Inthe-"accompanyingdrawings I illustrates:comprisingiapluralityof 'lege which radiate my invention-as'='applie 1 to*a fly-ing boat; -to" variouspointsnof therupvvardly inclinedi of the socalled Curtissftype, 'but-it ivilll be 'pr0wi19, liavingiztheirifeet-ffirmlv' fsecured to; readily understoodtliatfmy invention Wzirious;elements,,of"tlie lIltIlOPli'b structure be applied in -this 'form or' in 'sor'ne'igener' :25. 1'Iahfe'rcomparatively fiati'bottomed prowe callyrelated formto'oth'er ypes=o aircraft 19 is thereby ,givenwasmaxinium strength as -w'elh i "2' The2tail bf-:the b'oat aSL'YShOWiL-win'iEigS. 1 Oi :fh awi Fig 1 and finis; :provided: r in itsetpp i with a: 1-do vvn-ti tion of the flyi'ng boatf Wardly and forwardly extending 'rwat'er- Fig. 2'is a top plan view hereo tightii'eoicketv2fi. :.;.Thi s'isoclg'etroei'veszthe p I w K projeotingkend fa beam 2Tvvh ielr isiiico vailf us details thereof."-

fp'oratedsinto v=thestructure;of'ethei'wenticak The boat Structure 10 is' of' etrea'rn line lr stabi-lizing-l surface 13. T ;The1stabilizingi-fin form longitu'dinallmand onits t'ailtsupportsiii1=3 isappnoxim'ately,rightitriangularuin out the Cur'tiss flyingboatficontrols.'= "Thes'e 'con Aline 'and this beam] 27* extends:from apoint trols 'compris'e the main horizontal stabiliz {E si' bstantiallfi v at the apexof oneia oute angle ing surface 11",the elevating rudders 12, the diagonallyto f' a point intermediate the ends' vertical stabilizing Surfaces13 and the'verti fof the oppositeilsidea and preferably nearer cal rudderl' l, Arranged tranSver'sely :'o'f""-the vertioa'lwa'dja'cent"Side whereby it is; 10+ the boat-and aft of the "p'row* ther of 5 are catedi'in a: region of inaximum- -pressureupon the supporting surfaces 1 5of a biplane celli the surface :This is.Where greateet strength At;thelateralextreinities of-these surfaces is; needed; The'ifront 'endaof fin .l3 is secured, are provided neutralailerons 16'='for-.preserv'- by aniordinaryz bolt onscrewpl:To-removeit; ing lateralba'lance. The drivingj' motor 17 i""o ne has only tdlooseh boltzz28;andithenuvvitha is located in an elevated position and 1 'con *draw-i'bea'm -27: from: socketr'26,:thegfin nected directlyfto'ia propeller 1=8.-.f 4 ring lifted vertioalliy'and rearwardlyzfor'this As e1ear1 "''d in' F-ig;-* the prow purposeLTherear perimetral:bearn 'QQiInay of the boat isf iipvvardly ncliiiedl forfl the be downwardlyiextended toforfrbthe-middr well known purpose offieeeivin'g and :lqfeaki post, alidjgin tliefticonstru''cti'onusliown #:is so ing theiiimpacts;when alighting'upon 'r rum "extended: 'nd provided: ningailo'ng' the sur face of the-Wate Bebers230 tween; tliis' u' zivvzirdly''inclined' p'rovv 9 and Engineframe 31":-, 2(:' i' g the motor'17-there isarrafigedfa post brace 'structed of steel tubing an comprise front 20 to'take the shock of'impact 'and prevent J-andirear ections lsee Fig: 2")" whiohisu collapse of the elevatedaerial and m otor port at theiraupper endssthezbea'rns-32 of the structures upon the'prow du'e"to"any-- comf engine;=bed.--"lEach1sectionii: ffithe engine bined" forces"-"ofimpacti motor-inertia frameqcornprisesea pairi ofigspaeedflegsa:33 This' post*I di-vide'into per;'fand lower' spaced apart-'1"byzacdiagonalabraces 3 The feet2-35 of the frame-are b'oltedisd-inectl y to h the "strli'cturef .zoife'? the--upporting 'Js'uri-v -faces']' 15"and the iJ-boily ofiwthe boat 10, the "supporting. surface 15 immediately adjacent i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GLENN H. CUR'nss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Haininondsport, in the county of'Steuben and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in"Flying-Boats, of which thefollowing is a'specification. i r

My invention relates to flying boats 'generally and has for itsobject to improve the isa ide elevanear the prow 19 and "jjleti above ythe :top deck; s'o thaft when the boat s k ocked downfor shipmen't the top 'sectlo'fi of post-eo-may 1 All the side of the boat being constructed as a part of the boat as clearly set forth in my application Serial Number 790,050 filed September 16th, 1913. The frames 31 thus straddle the central section and bind the two sides of the boat structure together. A strap 36 interconnects the feet 35 and prevents spreading thereof under such strain as might disrupt the boat structure about the longitudinal axis thereof. This strap conforms closely to the deck of the boat which as has been stated has a longitudinal section approximately that of surface 15. la the middle the strap is slightly bowed both to permit slight adjustment and to accommodate the upper surface of the tail 3'? which emanates from this point. At one or both ends it may be provided with an adjusting bolt 38 which passes through the foot of the frame 31. A t the frames upper end a long bolt 39 inter-connects the leg ends, and by adjusting nut 40 on one end of this bolt the upper ends of legs 33 may be adjusted toward or from each other to exactly position the spaced beams 32 of the engine bed. This bolt may be used also to spread the feet 35 in fitting the frame to the boat 10, the nut 40 being loosened or tightened as may be needed. After the frame is secured to the boat, nut40 may be readjusted to properly space the upper ends of legs 33.

Connected directly with the upper ends of legs 33 by linking bolts 41 are forked extensions 42 the apexes of which project above the upper supporting surface 15 and are each provided with an eye 43 arranged to receive the hooks-of cable or hoisting connections. These eyes are located it will be observed one at each end of the engine frame and therefore one on each side of the center of gravity of the craft and also in the"vertical plane of the longitudinal axis thereof. By this means the craft may be hoisted from the surface of the water or placed thereon without straining any of the less strong parts. Eyes 43 are connected directly and metallically through the engine frame with the body of the boat 10 as well as with the engine bed 32, and they thereby bear directly all of the heaviest structures of the craft and the weight of such structures is moreover symmetrically distributed. The usual course in using these eyes is to connect harness in the fashion shown in Fig. l.

The ailerons 16 are provided with two legged or forked operating braces 44 the feet 45 of which are secured to the aileron structure. The apex of the fork is formed by flattening and rounding, or welding together the upper ends of the legs. A crown v raaeprr arranged to receive cable connections '43 some of which are brace wires which extend to various points on the surface of the aileron, and one at least of which is an operating cable 49. I

Vi nat 1 claim is:

1. A fiying boat comprising a hull, an element mounted above the hull, brace sec tions between the element and the hull, means respectively fixedly and removably mounting opposite ends of the brace sections to the hull and to the element and means joining adjacent ends of the sections.

2. A. flying boat comprising a hull, sup- Eorting surfaces mounted across the hull and race means between the surfaces and the hull, including an interior brace section fixed within the hull, a continuing exterior sec ture, aerial supporting surfaces mountedtransversely of said structure, an elevated driving motor, a stool structure fixed within j the boat, a brace section seated upon said stool structure, an alined brace section detachabl connected to said motor and means remova 1y connecting the brace sections.

4. A flying boat comprising a boat structure, having an impact-distributing landing prow, a stool erected within the prow of said boat, a brace section fixedly mounted by said stool, aerial supporting surfaces for the boat structure, asecond brace section connected to said surfaces with the first said brace section and a break joint normally connecting said brace sections to support said surfaces from the landing prow through said stool, said joints forming means whereby the said second brace section may be'detached from the boat structure without interfering with the connection of the first said section therewith.

5. A flying boat comprisin a boat structure, aerial supporting sur aces mounted prow thereof, an elevated driving motor, a post brace arranged between said driving motor and said prow to take the thrust of impact thereupon and having its base end seated upon a stool structure having legsradiating to various portions of the bottom.

6. A flying boat comprisin a boat structure, aerial supporting sur aces arranged transversely thereof, elevatin and steering controls and a vertical stabilizing fin mounted upon the tail of the boat, a Water-tight socket in said tail, and a beam incorporated in the structure of said stabilizing fin and having its base end seated in said socket.

7. flying boat comprisin a boat structure, aerial supporting sur aces arranged transversely thereof, a stabilizing fin, a

socket in the tail of said boat, and a beam incorporated in said fin structure and having its base end seated in said socket.

8. The combination with an aeroplane body of a stabilizing fin therefor and a beam arranged in the structure of said fin for projection into said aeroplane body.

9. The combination with an aeroplane of a stabilizing fin for the aeroplane, said fin being of approximately right triangular shape and including a diagonal bracing beam extending from the apex of one acute angle to and beyond a medial point on the opposite side into said aeroplane.

10. A flying boat comprising a boat structure, aerial supporting surfaces arranged transversely of said structure, separate frames secured to said boat structure respectively fore and aft of the center of gravity and continuing frames projecting upwardly from the first said frames and through one of said surfaces to provide hoisting connecplane of the longitudinal axis of the aero tions for the boat.

11. An aeroplane comprising aerial supporting surfaces, engine frames arranged between the surfaces, an engine bed supported by said frames between said surfaces and continuing frames for the first said frames pro'ecting from said bed through one of said sur aces to provide direct hoisting connec tions for said surfaces and said engine bed together.

12. A flyin boat, comprising a boat structure, an aeria supporting surface arranged above said boat structure, frames mounted directly upon said boat structure, an engine bed engaged and supported by said frames, and a continuing frame for each of the first said frames adapted to engage both the latter and said engine bed and to project through said supporting surface to provide hoistin connections for the boat.

13. ii an aeroplane, an engine, supporting surfaces, frames supporting the englne between the surfaces, e es for making hoisting connections and ocated in the vertical plane at each end of said engine and frames continuing the first said frames from the engine for the provision of saideyes.

14. An aeroplane comprisin a chassis structure, aerial supporting sur ces mounted thereon and projecting laterally therefrom on each side thereof, a centrally located engine frame having spreading legs connecting together parts connected with said surfaces and lying on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, and a strap member interconnecting the feet of the frame the longitudinal axis, and a strap interconnecting the feet of the frame on opposite sides of said axis whereby the legs are prevented from spreading apart .and disrupting.

the structure upon the application of undue strains.

16. In an aeroplane, an engine frame comprising legs spaced apart by diagonal braces between them and adjustable interconnecting means adjacent one end thereof to adjust the distance between them;

17. In an aeroplane, superposed supporting surfaces, engine bed beams mounted between said surfaces, a motor supported by and between said beams to prevent inward displacement thereof, andv a support for the engine bed beams comprising upwardly converging' legs terminally engaging beneath said beams together with rigid braces crossed. beneath the motor to individually brace the respective beams obliquely to the foot of the leg remote therefrom.

18. The combination of an aeroplane body, of a fin mounted upon the body, brace means for. the fin adapted to extend into said body and an elongated socket arranged within the body towholly support said brace. I

19. A stabilizing surface including a brace centrally embedded within the surface and projecting beyond the limits of the surface and socket means adapted to wholly support said brace exteriorly of the surface.

20. The combination with an aero lane body, of a socket arranged therewith1n, a brace having its lower portion supported in said socket to project from said aeroplane body and a fin carried by said body and adapted to be centrally intersected by said 7 brace.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature Witnesses? G. R. HALL, H. G. GENUNG. 

